Bituminous dispersions



FEE

sire srss BITUBHNOUS DISPERSIONS Robert R. Thurston, Beacon, N. Y; assignor to The Texas Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application October 14, 1932, Serial No. 637,788

Claims. (Cl. 134-1) This invention relates to the production of dis- Anaylsis of diiferent specimens of the .adsorbed persions or emulsions of thermoplastic hydrobodies removed from spent catalytic adsorbent carbon materials, such as petroleum asphalt, materials show that these bodies in general paramn, etc. possess saponification values of from 25 to 150 or In particular, the invention contemplates the higher and that they are generally satisfactory 5 production of saponifiable materials available as or t purp e st ted herein.

a by-product in the treatment of petroleum In the preparation of dispersions of asphalt, vapors at petroleum refineries and the use of for p the p ymers obtained as stated these materials as ingredients in forming stabilab ve a m ed i t e p opo o o f m izing agents for said dispersions. to 12% with any good grade of petroleum asphalt, 10

It has been determined that where raw naphtha heated to a fluid condition, t m the melt. vapors, produced by cracking or distilling crude The asphalt y then be p sed W le still oils, are treated for the purpose of removing the h ted or it may be permitted to solidify and gummy d in t i l h as th u later be reheated for dispersion since cooling does 15 saturated hydrocarbons, aromatics, etc., the renot produce y p ma ent Changes in the con- 15 moved materials, herein referred to as polymers, stitlltents 0 e elt. possess fairly high saponification value and are The dispersion is formed y introducing t otherwise satisfactory when reacted With alkali heated molten t into a body of slightly alkafor forming stabilizing agents for dispersed hhe Water While maihta'imhg the temp ature 0 particles of hydrocarbon materials supported in between to the materials being water as t external phase agitated and mixed for a period of from 30 sec- The eferred method f Obtaining t polyonds to 3 minutes to produce the desired degree mers for the purpose stated herein is to remove of dispersion The dispersion is preferably efthe material adsorbed upon a catalytic adsorbent fected in a suitable dispersing machine into material, Such, for example as fuller earth which the asphalt and water are continuously in- 25 which has become spent in the treatment of raw h and from Which the p on is conpetroleum naphtha. The polymers may be reiimu-oilsly discharged The d e o a a i y moved by steaming or otherwise but it is preferred of the Whiter y V y slightly although it should to extract the adsorbed materials by the use of a he Sumcieht cause the resulting p rsion to suitable solvent, such as acetone or benzol or a react alkaline, finished di persions having a pH 30 combination of these or equivalent solvents, the Value from 3 to 10 having b en found satisfacsolvent being thereafter separated from the poly- Y- The addition of frem t of caustic mers as by evaporation, soda or an equivalent alkali, based on the quan- As an example of the production of a typical tlty Of Water, W produce an alkaline solution specimen of the polymers referred to herein, a Proper Strength The p ure main- 35 solvent comprising a combination of equal parts tamed during dispersion of the asphalt particles, of acetone and benzol was applied to Riverside namely 1 0 F. to 212 F. is sufii ie to p t funer earth, which had become Spent in the the alkali in the aqueous solution to react with treatment of cracked petroleum naphtha in vapor the sapohifiebie products in the melt for forming form. The dissolved material was a soft, semithe protectlve colloids which serve to stabilize liquid material of bad odor having the following the d o Higher melting point asphalts require the higher temperatures within the range charactenstms' stated. In order to have a sufliciently fluid dis- Specific gravity at 77 F 1- persion for normal use, the water content should Iodine value be not less than about 30% and it may be higher 45 Neutralization number 9 if greater fluidity is desired. saponification value 27- Dispersions of asphalt in water formed. in ac- Per cent unsaponifiable 58,6 cordance with the present invention are found Ultimate analysis of this material showed: to be sufficiently stable and otherwise satisfactory for normal uses. Thus when used for coat- 50 Carbon, per cent 82.42 ing stone, vfor example, the emulsion remains in Hydrogen, per cent 9.45 an emulsified condition until after the stone has Sulfur, per cent 1.07 been thoroughly coated and then the asphalt h, per cent 0.05 particles coalesce, breaking the emulsion withi Oxygen by difference 7.01 a short period of time. Samples of the disper- 55 sion have been subjected to temperatures of 140 F. and to 0 F. for long periods of time and when restored to normal temperatures were 7 found to be in satisfactory condition for use.

While this specification contains specific statements of'the best mode of applying the invention, as required, it is to be understood that various modifications of the invention are contemplated and that the invention is to be limited only as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An emulsion of thermoplastic hydrocarbon material embodying a stabilizing agent comprising saponified products or materials adsorbed upon spent fullers earth after use thereof in filtering cracked petroleum vapors and removed by a solvent of the type of acetone and benzol.

2. An asphalt emulsion embodying a stabilizing agent comprising saponified polymers obtained from catalytic adsorbent material employed in filtering cracked petroleum vapors.

3. The process of forming asphalt emulsions comprising adding and resinous polymerized products, obtained from the treatment of cracked petroleum vapors for removal of color and gum forming constituents, to a body of molten asphalt as a base and dispersing said base in an alkaline aqueous medium.

4. The process of forming emulsions of thermoplastic hydrocarbon materials comprising treating filtering material, employed for filtering cracked petroleum naphtha, with a solvent for dissolving adsorbed materials therefrom, separating the solvent from the dissolved materials, mixing the dissolved materials with said thermoplastic hydrocarbon material and dispersing the same in an alkaline aqueous medium of from .l% to 1% strength.

5. An asphalt emulsion stabilized essentially by the reaction products of an alkali and the gummy and resinous products removed during the treatment of cracked petroleum naphtha for removal of color and gum forming constituents.

ROBERT R. THURSTON. 

